It was a great first day of the retreat! I got tons of stuff done and enjoyed the company. The first project I did was a jelly roll quilt. This will be my third jelly roll quilt and I was thinking of keeping this one for myself this time, but now that it’s done I’m not sure. I feel like this quilt might belong to someone else.
It took me about 5 hours or so to finish the whole thing from the very start to finishing the borders and piecing a backing and bindings.
Boy do I look smiley in this picture, perhaps I should cut back on the caffine tomorrow! Jelly roll quilts are very popular around our LQS and so there were two others made today.
One of the great things about having the retreat in town, and in fact in the classroom at our LQS, is that we can go over to shop anytime we need something! So I got backing material and binding fabric for 4 quilt tops. I spent the next few hours piecing backings and sewing bindings. Now all that stuff is out of the way and the quilts are ready to be sandwiched and quilted. Check out the stack!
Here are three of the quilt finishes from today that other quilters did. Notice the Vintage Valentine (upper left corner)? That’s a totally handmade, needle turn appliqué, quilt. My mom is also working on one like this, although this one is not hers. This quilt has been a WIP for the last year.
We also did a gift exchange today. It was so much fun! I wrapped up a little package of Amy Butler patterns in a bright polkadot fat quarter. I received some great hand sewing needles, new clover head pins, and a pair of cat scissors. 
Lastly, I started on a new You Zig I’ll Zag quilt from Moda Bakeshop using a Reunion layer cake by Sweetwater. I love Sweetwater, I think every one of the last 4 or 5 lines from them I love! I have plans for this quilt. Unless I change my mind once I see it finished, I think I already know who will be getting this quilt. Of course I can not reveal who this person is 
So I did all the cutting and finished about 1/3 of the piecing. I hope to finish this top tomorrow and get started on yet another one!
It was an excellent day. The only thing missing was my mom. She is away on a weekend trip with my dad (a gift my sister and I bought for them for Dad’s 60th birthday this month). She staying here this weekend though, so I don’t think she’s all that upset!
